Strongsville Schools issue statement on teachers strike

STRONGSVILLE -- Approximately one hour after the Strongsville Education Association voted in favor of a work stoppage, Strongsville Superintendent John Krupinski issued a response.

Here's the statement in full:

We are disappointed that our teachers have voted to implement a strike beginning on March 4, 2013. However, the Board of Education (BOE)and I are pleased that we have a highly capable and professional administrative team as well as qualified substitute teachers in place, who want only the best for our students.

We thank the Strongsville Police Department for their efforts so that our students and non-striking staff are able to open schools on Monday as we begin this teachers' strike.

We believe we have done everything we could to avoid a teachers' strike. It is the Strongsville Education Association's (SEA) decision to go on strike. We will continue to negotiate in good faith during the strike. We have posted both the BOE and SEA proposed agreements online at www.strongnet.org/negotiationnews. The community will find the BOE agreement to be fair to our teachers and affordable to our district.

We are putting our strike preparation plan into effect. Families will continue to find helpful information on our website (www.strongnet.org).